So It Is Always Levi
by KitsuneSnow
Summary: Growing up in the Underground of a hellish world taught Rose many things as a child. She met a boy who changed her dull chances of living and brought forth her true potential as a survivor. Doing everything she can to cling to her love even as he is ripped from her reach, she is willing to fight against human devouring giants and men with rifles aimed straight for her head.
1. Prologue

Before you start:

1\. This is an Attack on titan story so there will be features of gore, violence, sexual themes and offensive language (If you don't like it then why on earth are you reading an AOT story?)

2\. I know nothing past what the anime currently offers so I don't actually know much about Kenny Ackerman, only what has been spoiled to me

3\. Disclaimer: I do not own attack on titan, I only own the characters I make up and mild plot alterations that I change to fit this story.

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Quietly, silently, unnoticed. A small hand reached for a small bag at the edge of the stall. Underneath sat a small child no older than six. She prayed she wouldn't be noticed by the owner of the stall, if she was she feared she would have to starve for another few nights and probably with a new bruise or scar. She quietly took one of the small bags and stuffed it securely down her shirt.

She took a look around at the busy market road. There were many people who had spotted her, a few adults who had passed by, a few other kids who watched for an opportunity to get their first meal in days, a couple of other stall owners who didn't give a rat's ass as long as you stayed away from them and their merchandise and hidden in the alley not too far away stood a boy who watched her with slight interest.

She took less than a few seconds to study him, he had dark black hair that fell in short tuffs around his head and piercing eyes that studied her every move. He wore a long sleeved, filthy, cream coloured shirt, faded white pants and black leather boots that seemed a little too big for him but he would grow anyway. Their eyes met for a brief moment and she knew immediately that he was the same as her. Orphaned, abandoned, deserted in this rotten excuse of a hell.

She took three more of the small bags and held them securely in her arms. She knew that the moment she made a run for it she would be spotted and chased down. She took another look at the orphans who watched on and then to the boy who still studied her. She bit her thumb nail in thought, she needed a plan quickly, then an idea came to her.

She stood up quickly, using all the mussels in her legs she pushed up with her back and sent the stall tumbling over spilling its contents onto the path and took off running.

She risked a look back and saw the fuming stall owner hot on her tail with a metal pole, swinging it wildly in her detection. The cold hard steel clipped her ankle with a sickening crack and the girl went tumbling to the ground. She curled in a ball to shield the bags of food she held tightly to her. She let out soft whimpers every time the metal collided with her small figure, once on the back, twice in the ribs and another in the shoulder.

"OW!" A voice cried out in pain but this wasn't her voice, confused she looked up and saw the boy from before who had sliced a deep cut in the man's thigh. He wasted no time and quickly returned the knife to his boot, grabbed the girl's hand tightly and they took off running as fast as their little legs could take them.

They only stopped when they deemed it safe and their lungs burnt for oxygen but with the adrenalin now fading she could feel the pain shooting from her now broken ankle. She knew and so did he, that an injury like this would almost definitely lead to death, she would starve or die from thirst. Without being able to walk or run was one of the biggest killers in the underground. For some reason the lack of light can cause a person to lose the ability to use their legs. People die quickly that way.

The boy quietly studied her with his cobalt eyes. She had orange hair, which he found weird he had never seen hair like it before, her eyes were a soft brown that seemed to be tinted with a reddish hue then again, he could be imagining it. She held out two of the bags she stole and offered them to him with a soft close-eyed smile "Thank you" she said so softly he almost missed it. Startled, he stared at her for a few seconds then he slowly took the bags from her and watched as her smile only grew, he felt his heartbeat quicken and decided to change both of their lives forever.

He held his hand out to her "Let's stick together. I'm Levi" after a cautious silence she took his hand "I'm Rose"

"Oi, Levi" Upon hearing his voice he looked to his female companion. Over the years Levi and Rose learned to survive together, they became masters at thievery and managed to save up a great deal of money. There was one point when they spent years apart when a man named Kenny Ackerman had taken Levi and trained him, he didn't know what she did during that time but she had gotten stronger, wiser and she became frighteningly cunning, it wasn't long after Levi had escaped that he had found her again.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when a cup was placed in his hands. He looked up at Rose with a raised eyebrow "If you're done daydreaming then you can help me think of another mission plan, we're running low on supplies" she told him. "Do you have anything specific in mind?" He asked her, knowing she would. She gave him a smirk "In 4 days there will be a supply shipment to the military police stationed down here" This information caught the attention of both Levi and Farlan. "What's the supplies?" Farlan questioned. "3d Manoeuvre Gear."

They were successful in acquiring 6 of the 3dMG from the Military shipments and after that they spent months non-stop teaching themselves how to use it. After a year Levi and Rose were masters at using the gear and missions were more successful than ever before.


	2. Chapter 1

It was mid-day in the underground district of wall Sina. There wasn't anything that stood out among those who wandered the streets. There were the street rats who were running around or sitting in allies waiting for some unfortunate person to cross their path. Some people sat on the rooftops smoking a burning herb while the old local man played his guitar to a song commonly known to those of the underground community.

A ginger headed figure walked along the pathways, weaving through buildings and ignoring the stares of the common folk. She walked through a small tunnel and turned a right, following the small staircase up and to a small house seated neatly on the left side of the stairs. She opened up the door and let herself in, taking off her long dark coat and hanging it up, she turned to see the tense figures of six males ready and poised for a fight.

"What the hell's your problem?" she asked with a bored expression.

The only figure standing visibly relaxed with sigh."Would it kill you to knock first?" He asked the ginger woman with a slight agitation."Get over it Farlan, I'm the only one mental enough to just walk in this house without knocking, you should have known it was me." She argued quite a valid point, everyone in the local area new to avoid the profusely clean house unless you were invited.

The ginger haired woman, known to these men as Rose, ignored the men as the went back to their previous activities. She walked past the table and set her basket onto the bench that served as a kitchen and set the tea kettle over a small flame stove."Want some , Levi?" She asked her friend who was sitting at the table behind her polishing his already perfectly clean knife.

"Sure." he responded, "How did it go?" he asked referring to her small outing.

"It went quite well, I got enough medicinal herbs to last about three months or more. I also noticed that we had started running out of tea leaves so I got some more." She explained to him.

She flurried about the kitchen as four of the men got up and left, she returned her attention to the remaining two. Setting down a cup of tea down in front of the stern faced man at the table, she took a seat to his right between the wall and the table.

"Jobs have been a lot easier since we got out hands on the 3D Maneuver Gear." Started the blonde, "Everyone's share has increased too." He added. Levi inspected his perfectly clean knife closer. "It seems one share has increased more than the others, what's the reason?" Levi asked without looking away from his knife. Rose sipped at her tea watching the interaction between the two males. Farlan looked away for a moment, he was an easy person to read. 'Busted' Rose thought with a smirk pulling at her lips.

"His," Farlan hesitated under Roses burning gaze, "Jan's leg is getting worse again." he explained "You've noticed right? And medicine is really expensive." he added to his explanation."The price just went up recently too." Rose started, "These underground merchants are just bleeding this place dry. As if it wasn't enough of a shithole already." she said to no one in particular but Farlan nodded his head in agreement "Did you hear? The stairway toll also went up." asked the blond. "Yeah" Levi replied.

Rose zoned out and stared into her cup of black tea while the two men conversed. A sudden bang from the front door caught all of their attention and everyone stood. Levi had his beloved knife he polished so thoroughly, poised to draw blood once again. Levi and Rose moved out into a clearer part of the small house where there was more space for a fight but paused when a second jolt from the door was heard. Farlan positioned himself at the door with his knife out also. Rose watched from behind Levi knowing that the two could handle the situation themselves but she stood ready just in case. Farlan flung the door open and light brown, almost dark red, haired girl fell face first onto their clean floor at Levi's feet. Judging from his posture, he wasn't very impressed at all.

Rose relaxed and sat back at the table in the outermost seat from the wall, opposite from her empty tea cup. Her lips curled up into an amused smile. Farlan wasn't too impressed either but his face lacked the annoyance that Levi's held "What? It's just a brat" He said in an almost relieved voice. "I'm not, a brat" she said quietly, "I'm not a brat" she repeated with more power in her voice than the first time but only succeeded in making herself more out of breath than she originally was.

"Is that so?" Levi started, "Then I won't feel bad about kicking you out." he continued. Rose let out a scoff "Like you'd feel bad anyway" she taunted. Levi ignored her."I'll let the fact that you dirtied my floor slide. Get out now." he demanded.

Rose tilted her head and looked past them out the door "We have more company" she stated simply as she saw the dark silhouettes moving in the dark streets making their way closer to their little house."Over here!" a mature and unfamiliar voice rung out through the neighbourhood. Levi tsked in annoyance "Bastard, you're being chased?" Levi sounded more than a little pissed off now.

"I'm going to get changed. You guys can handle this, right?" Rose said as she already started walking to the bedroom she shared with Levi. "Sure" he replied. She entered the small room that was adorned by some draws, a bookshelf and a bed that took up most of the space of the room.

It had been a while since they first moved into their home, before this house, she and Levi lived in a room in a pub as a hideout from the Military Police that were always out on the prowl for the notorious thieves and killers. Back then she and Levi didn't have the luxury of sleeping in the same room everyday, sometimes they had to sleep out on the streets like they used to when they were kids because they were either trapped or injured on a job and depending on the situation sometimes it wasn't just one night they were stuck in one spot.

She ignored the yelling of the idiots outside of her home and stripped herself of her dirty cloths, placing them neatly beside the door reads to be washed, she pulled some dark long pants over her scarred and pale skin and added a white blouse to her outfit it was a snug fit. It sounded quiet outside 'Well, that was quicker than I thought' she thought to herself and exited the room.

"If you stay here, learn to clean before you learn the 3D Maneuver Gear." she heard Levi say the girl, she followed Levi out the door, grabbing her coat on the way out and closing the door behind her. "Thank you, bro!" The girl shouted through the closed door.

The people of the neighbourhood had all taken a place near the house and moved out of the way as Levi made his path down the stairs. 'In some screwed up way, he's like a king to the people down here Rose smiled at the thought and continued to follow him along his path 'I want to see what type of kingdom you can create, my dear Levi.' she thought.

Shaking her head she ran up to walk beside him as they made their way down to the pub at the end of their street "You know," Rose started, "I wasn't expecting you to actually take her in, that was nice of you" she said it in a way that made Levi wonder if she was insulting him in some twisted way. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and his lips twitched up slightly. "I'm always nice" he replied in a tone that sounded like he didn't even believe it himself. Rose just laughed at his bad way of joking, she had always known that Levi was actually a good person, he just had no tolerance for other people's shit. She had known it ever since the day he carried her back to their ally after rescuing her from the merchant and she had loved him ever since that day.


	3. Chapter 2

Isabel could feel her back about to give as she clutched the broom in her hands and used it as a support. This was her fifth time sweeping the floor and no matter how much she thought it may have been up to Levi's standards it appeared that she always over looked some detail and no matter how small Levi always made her sweep the entire floor all over again. She stood there for another ten minutes making sure the floor was totally perfect. Her body turned rigid when the door opened behind her, she risked a look behind her and relaxed when she saw the orange haired woman enter the room.

Rose lifted an eyebrow at the girls behaviour and decided to ignore it as she looked around the room "Are you done yet?" the older women asked her newest female companion. Isabel sighed "I hope so, bro sure is tough on cleaning, has he always been like this?" Isabel asked as she stretched, Rose hummed as she analysed the room for anything the girl could have missed "He started when we first got off the street" Rose said and turned to the door that lead to her room, "You missed a spot by the shelves" Rose said as she left the room and closed the door behind her.

Levi sat at the small desk in their room reading a book from the collection they had gathered over the years. It was a hobby of Roses, she enjoyed collecting books since they were so scarce in the underground district. If life went her way she would open up a library and maybe even write a story of her own but there were more important things at hand. Levi shifted his gaze from the book to his orange haired friend then wordlessly went back to the novel.

"Be gentle" Isabel scolded Farlan as he focused on rewrapping the bird's wing, Farlan shot her an irritated look. Isabel pouted and looked to their other two companions. Levi sat at the table with a cup of tea, holding it in the odd way he does, and Rose stood at the kitchen bench tending to their dinner.

Farlan fiddled with the difficult fabric, he tied one final knot to secure the bandage and gently handed the small bird back to an excited Isabel. Farlan smiled lightly, the young girl had brung the trio a new light to their sunless world, she was becoming part of their family quite quickly. Farlan had already noticed the change in attitude with Levi, he saw her less as an extra mouth to feed and more as the younger sister that Farlan and Rose had already grown to know her as.

"Hey, big bro? When can I learn the 3D Maneuver Gear?" Isabel asked Levi as they and Farlan swept the floor. Levi paused and pulled down the cloth covering his mouth. "Soon" He replied and looked around the living room, Isabel grinned excitedly with the small bird perched on top of her head, Levi put away his broom and moved to the cabinet that stored their tea cups and set out to polish the cups to a shine.

The campfire shone brightly in the rocky area, it was warm summer night in the underground district. Four figures sat around the glowing warmth while the youngest and newest member of their team was finishing the last of her meal, which included some of the soup left over from the dinner of night before and some bread that was a more than a little stale but the soup had made it softer. Isabel ripped into the last of her bread while she listened to the rest of the group discuss the details of her training.

"Then it would better to use the open area to teach her the basics?" Farlan asked Levi who seemed fixated by the fire. "Perhaps" Levi said in a bored tone staring into the fire as he tried to map out the best places to teach someone how to use the gear.

"Being out in the open would be a good place to teach her but we would be easily spotted if the military sees us." Rose added as she added a few sticks to the fire to keep it going. Levi nodded in agreement "It would be best to keep to the buildings." he said, "We start tomorrow." Levi stated and the suddenness on the statement make Isabel choke form shock. Once she forced the food down her throat she perked up with excitement and a happy bounce in her voice. "Really? We're starting tomorrow?!" Isabel shouted in excitement as she leaned toward the stoic man.

"Hey you didn't eat, you can have the rest of my bread. I don't need it now." Isabel held out her bread to Levi who turned his head away from the girl and he messed with her hair. 'She really has become apart of our family now.' Rose thought with a smile, "She's right Levi, you have to eat something or you'll never grow any taller" Rose taunted the raven haired man. Levi shot her an annoyed glare "You're one to talk you're even shorter than me" He shot back. "I have no problem with my height" she gloated and he grunted in agitation, Isabel laughed at the bickering two. They doused the fire and headed back to the house "Tomorrow, I'll help you fit into the gear. It can be pretty confusing with all the straps and buckles" Rose offered Isabel, thinking back to when they had first taken the gear and tried to figure out how the damn leather strapping worked. "Yeah! That would be cool" Isabel said as she skipped beside the three walking adults.

They reached the house long after the sun had set. Farlan had retreated to his room saying something about tomorrow being a long day and Isabel went to check on the small bird in the cloth made nest she had made for it. Rose put away the things they had bought with them on their trip and followed after Levi as he walked through the door of their shared room and paused at the door, she turned back to Isabel who sat at the table with the bird. "Don't stay up too late, Farlan was right when he said that we have a big day tomorrow." Rose reminded the young girl and carried on into the room.

Isabel could barely contain her excitement as she kept her little friend company for a short while longer before putting it back into its safe and secure place in the cabinet and went to her bed on the couch, she'd take the couch over Farlan's snoring anytime.

Levi laid sprawled out on the bed staring at the ceiling, the warmth of the night had persuaded him to remove his shirt and not bother with the blankets.

"You look tense" Rose said as she changed into her night clothes, consisting of a large button up shirt and a pair of old shorts, Levi glanced at her and sighed "I am" was all he said but nothing more was needed for him to say, she knew he was worried about the tasks tomorrow held for the four of them and the possibility that the military police could launch an attack on them, they would be screwed if they went after Isabel. "You're worrying yourself too much, they don't know where we are and the chances of them coming this far into the districts for no reason are slim." Rose reasoned with his thoughts and Levi snorted in amusement "They have their heads too far up their arses to come down here." He agreed with her.

She climbed onto the bed and sat beside him, "Roll over" She somewhat ordered him and he did so without complaint, she sat on his back and made work at his muscles with her palms. It wasn't often that she gave anyone a massage but when she did it was bliss. It was one of his favourite luxuries that he indulged himself in. When his muscles were loose beneath her hands she ungracefully flopped beside him on the bed and he didn't move, he was much too comfortable but his mind still wandered.

There were times where he wondered what someone else would call their relationship, they had an unrivaled trust and comfort in each other and there were even times when they were intimate but the two never discussed a label to their relationship. One thing was certain to the two, the care and need that they felt for each other could never be doubted.

His thoughts continued in spirals of topics and he never lingered on one for too long, he finally lifted his face from the pillow for a breath of fresh air and he looked to his companion who had already drifted off to sleep. 'As hellish as this world is, I would never complain about this part of it' he thought and he felt his mind slip from him, he embraced the sleep that came to him.


End file.
